Nebraska handles business in 75-65 win over Queens to close non-conference play

Tuesday night’s Battle in the Vault game against Queens (N.C.) had all the makings of a trap game for Nebraska.

Coming off a disappointing loss to Kansas State on Saturday, the Huskers played their final non-conference matchup of the season. Adding to the matter was a record-low attendance of 2,523 at Pinnacle Arena due to the game not being included in NU’s season ticket package.

The recipe was there for Nebraska to enter the holidays on a disastrous not. But its veterans made sure to cook up a much better result in a 75-65 victory.

Despite NU leading by 17 in the second half, the Royals pulled within single digits with nine minutes left. But NU’s veterans kept things under control and held on for a much-needed victory to snap a three-game losing streak.

The Huskers closed their non-con slate at 7-4, including starting 0-2 in Big Ten play. Now 18 straight conference contests to finish the regular season await.

Nebraska opened on an 11-0 run and then used another 11-0 spurt to take a 24-9 lead midway through the first half. That margin grew to 17 on a breakaway dunk by Juwan Gary, and NU took a 43-26 advantage into the break.

Derrick Walker scored 10 of his 13 points in the first half, while Nebraska shot 56.2% as a team. On the other end, Queens went just 25.7% from the field and 4-of-16 (25%) from behind the arc.

The Royals got back within 12 two times over the first four minutes of the second half. The Huskers kept them at arm’s length each time, but NU turnovers and mental mistakes helped get Queens as close as 62-53 on a jumper by AJ McKee with 9:21 remaining.

Nebraska answered with a basket by Emmanuel Bandoumel on the ensuing possession, and Gary and Walker scored nine straight points to get the lead back to 14. NU didn’t make another field goal for the final 5:16 of the game, but it still managed to finish with a double-digit win.

Five Huskers scored in double figures, led by 16 from Sam Griesel and 15 off the bench from Keisei Tominaga. Walker finished with 13 points, six rebounds, and a career-high six assists. Bandoumel added 10 points and eight boards, while Gary scored 11.

Nebraska will return to action on Thursday, Dec. 29, when it hosts Iowa for a 6 p.m. CT tip on Big Ten Network.

Nebraska was far from perfect, but it avoided the trap

Head coach Fred Hoiberg was openly worried about Nebraska’s non-con finale against Queens. 

Tuesday night had all the makings of a classic trap game, and Hoiberg knew the Royals were a much peskier team than some – including maybe his players – might have thought.

But the Huskers took care of business and avoided entering the meat of Big Ten play on the heels of four straight losses.

It certainly wasn’t a perfect performance by any means. NU went 6-for-23 on 3-pointers and committed 13 turnovers (seven in the second half). It also gave up 11 offensive rebounds to give Queens a 7-2 edge in second-chance points.

That’s not even to mention the Huskers making just six field goals over the final 12:15 of play.

Still, when a big play needed to be made, Nebraska found a way to make it time and again. 

“Would have liked to play a little bit better in the second half, but ultimately, winning in college basketball is tough,” Griesel said. “We’ll take the ‘W’ and run with it into Christmas break.”

Blaise Keita’s status is unknown after injury

Tuesday night’s win didn’t come without a potential cost, as Blaise Keita left the game late in the first half with an ankle injury.

Hoiberg said the sophomore center stepped on another player’s foot while going for a loose ball rebound and turned his right ankle. He was helped to the bench and went to the locker room with around two minutes left before halftime.

Keita did not initially return to the court to start the second half but eventually rejoined the team on the bench while still in uniform.

Hoiberg wasn’t sure of the extent of the injury after the game and said Keita would be further evaluated. 

The 6-foot-11, 245-pound Keita had two rebounds, an assist, and a block in seven minutes of work before his injury.

“I thought Blaise gave us good minutes there early in that game,” Hoiberg said. “We’re going to need that body.”

A strange end to the non-con

The matchup with Queens as the final non-conference game before winter break wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.

But the fact that there were a listed 2,500 fans in the stands (which feels generous), with two other college basketball games played beforehand, made for one of the odder atmospheres I can remember.

The Battle in the Vault was organized by Campio. The sparse attendance also made it a B.Y.O.E. event – Bring Your Own Energy.

The crowd wasn’t too much of an issue for guys like Walker, who played with basically no one in the stands during the 2020-21 COVID season. But he and the rest of Nebraska’s veterans knew they had to keep their younger teammates’ focus and energy up from start to finish.

“Whether its 20,000 people or one person in the stands, we owe it to ourselves to go out there every night and play as hard as we can,” Walker said. “We had lost three in a row, and we have a group that just hates that. We hold ourselves to a higher standard, and we knew that we had to get this one before break and heading into conference play.

“I commend my guys for coming out and just focusing on us and our principles and getting the job done.”

They said it

“I feel good about this group because I know this group is going to go out every night and play hard. I know this group is going to go out and play together, and also, I know this group can compete with any team in the Big Ten and any team in the country. So, I have a lot of confidence in this group. I have a lot of confidence in us going into Big Ten play.”

Senior forward Derrick Walker on what he’d seen from Nebraska through the first 13 games of the season.